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War, weapons & victims : legal responses: Environment

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War -- Environmental aspects

Environmental law, International;

War (International law); 

Environmental damage caused by armed conflict

Protocol 1, Geneva Convention 1977, Art 35. Basic rules

"1. In any armed conflict, the right of the Parties to the conflict to choose methods or means of warfare is not unlimited.

2. It is prohibited to employ weapons, projectiles and material and methods of warfare of a nature to cause superfluous injury or unnecessary suffering.

3. It is prohibited to employ methods or means of warfare which are intended, or may be expected, to cause widespread, long-term and severe damage to the natural environment."

The Protocol also prohibits attacks against the environment by way of reprisals.

See also the definition of a war crime in Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court


Environmental law

If you are new to environmental law, a recent discussion of fundamental terms & concepts such as "evironment" and "damage" (though in  a peacetime context) may still be useful

Further help with environmental law